Chapter 90: Buying house — Host: Noah Carter Age: 28 Shops: 1 Daily Revenue: $5,000 Current Assets: $152,000.64 Shop Points: 2700 Attributes: Strength: 20, Vitality: 4, Intelligence: 20, Agility: 20 Skills: Swordsmanship(Level 5), Mana Control (Level 5), Cooking (Level 2), Programming (Level 2), Finance (Level 1), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3), Gaming (Level 1) — On his way back to his apartment, Noah had already contacted a moving company to handle the transition. The large vehicle was waiting outside when he arrived, its crew ready to relocate the remnants of his old life. From this cramped apartment to an actual house. Some changes happen faster than expected. "Be careful with those PC parts," Noah instructed as the movers began loading boxes. The crew nodded. Noah pulled out his phone and dialled the setup technician’s number. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶 "Hello, this is Marcus from TechnoWorld. You called about installation?" "Yes, I need to schedule the gaming setup installation for tomorrow afternoon. New address." "Perfect. What time works best for you?" Footsteps echoed up the stairwell as Noah provided his new address details. Mrs. Henderson’s familiar silhouette appeared on the landing, her expression changing from routine inspection to confusion. "Two PM should work perfectly," Noah continued into his phone. Mrs. Henderson’s mouth opened as she surveyed the moving operation with growing bewilderment. Boxes, furniture, and professional movers. "Excellent. We’ll have everything operational by evening," Marcus confirmed. "Looking forward to it." Noah ended the call and turned toward his landlord, who stood frozen in the doorway like someone witnessing an unexpected natural disaster. "Noah? What’s going on? What is all this fuss?" Her voice was strained, and she was clearly dumbstruck from the major changes without any advance notice. Mrs. Henderson had been conducting her weekly property inspection when this moving operation ambushed her routine. "Moving out," Noah replied casually. "Moving out?" Her eyebrows climbed toward her hairline. "But your lease doesn’t expire for another two months. You can’t just—" "I’m buying a house." The words landed between them like a small explosion. Mrs. Henderson’s expression cycled through disbelief, confusion, and something approaching panic. "Buying a house? Noah, you couldn’t afford your rent a month ago. You were behind on payments, remember? I had to threaten eviction." "Things changed." Mrs. Henderson’s gaze darted between the expensive moving crew and Noah’s relaxed expression. "Changed how? You don’t have the kind of job that affords house purchases. You’re a broke programmer who works from home because they can’t find a job." I was a struggling programmer. Now I’m something else. "I’ve won a letter recently, and I’ve opened a business; everything has been good lately." "Lottery? Business?" Her voice cracked slightly. "What business? You’ve been unemployed for months!" "Started my own company. Revenue streams developed faster than expected." Mrs. Henderson’s face flushed. Her perpetually behind-on-rent tenant had somehow acquired enough wealth to purchase property without warning. "This is very sudden, Noah. Very sudden. What about the lease agreement? There are penalties for early termination." Who said anything about early termination? Noah smiled "I’m giving you a month’s notice right now. I’ll pay next month’s rent while not living here, then we’re done." By the book. No penalties. No violations. Just a tenant exercising his legal rights. Mrs. Henderson’s mouth opened and closed without sound. She’d been expecting to extract penalty fees from her suddenly wealthy tenant, only to discover he’d outmanoeuvred her completely. "But... but you can’t just..." she stammered. "Actually, I can. Check the lease agreement. One month’s notice, which I’m providing right now." The movers continued their work around the conversation, loading Noah’s possessions without paying the landlord any attention while she processed the reality of losing her cash cow. Mrs. Henderson stood speechless as her former problem tenant walked away from the apartment that had once represented the limit of his financial possibilities. Other revenge was simply success achieved loudly enough for everyone to hear. Today had definitely delivered the latter. ... In his new house, Noah stood surrounded by boxes and furniture that represented the physical manifestation of his transformed life. He’d already chosen his gaming room. A second-floor space with excellent natural light and enough room for multiple monitor setups. The plan included his PC installation, maybe a console, a large TV for relaxation, and whatever other entertainment technology caught his interest. Finally have space for everything I’ve wanted. The house came furnished with modern pieces that spoke to the previous owner’s excellent taste. Clean lines, neutral colours, everything arranged with the kind of aesthetic sense that made interior design magazines possible. Noah wandered into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to find exactly what he’d expected—empty shelves and the faint hum of the fan waiting to preserve food that didn’t exist yet. Grumble~~ His stomach grumbled at the thought of food. I need to go shopping for some groceries. But that can wait. "First, I’ll fill my stomach with some bread and iced tea. I need to open the shop too." Noah activated the portal. The familiar transition brought him into his shop, where Moon and Star pulsed with gentle energy from their corner positions. He had received another Demonica Moonburgh and it was joining the duo as the third twin. Noah used the card, and the Moonburgh appeared on the desk. Instead of two, now three laid on his desk. "I will call you, star too." He flipped the sign to "Open" and settled behind his counter, already anticipating the steady flow of demon customers who’d made his new lifestyle possible. But before dealing with supernatural commerce, his immediate hunger demanded attention. Noah retrieved a loaf of healing bread and a bottle of iced tea from his shelves, before biting into the golden crust. The bread’s warmth spread through his body immediately, providing nourishment that went beyond simple calories. Healing properties made every bite feel like a small celebration of his body’s optimal function. This stuff really is magical no matter how many times I try it. The iced tea followed with its familiar rush of mana enhancement, increasing his magical reserves and sensitivity.